1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi operating electronic component which is mainly used in the input operation unit of various types of electronic devices and is driven by the user's operation for the operating knob, such as turning, pressing and tilting it.
2. Background Art
FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a conventional multi operating electronic component. FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the component taken along line 12—12 of FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the component.
The multi operating electronic component includes a box-shaped case having metal cover 1, square frame 2 and base member 3 at the bottom of the case. Metal cover 1 has an open bottom and a U-shaped cross section. Metal cover 1 has circular hole 1A in the center of a top surface thereof. Base member 3 has single pressing switch (hereinafter, switch) 7A in the center and pressing switches (hereinafter, switches) 7B, 7C and the like in its periphery. Base member 3 further has upward-protruding fixed elastic contacts 8.
The multi operating electronic component further includes rotary member 9, which is rotatably supported by intermediate wall 4 of the case. Rotary member 9 supports contact plate 10 which is a movable contact corresponding to fixed elastic contacts 8. Click spring 11, which is fixedly caulked to the bottom surface of intermediate wall 4, creates a click feeling at the time of rotating operating member 12.
Operating member 12 has spherical polyhedron 12A with a polygonal horizontal cross section at its bottom end. Polyhedron 12A is engaged with polygonal throughhole 9A formed in the center of rotary member 9 in such a manner as to be movable vertically and tiltable independently with respect to throughhole 9A and to be rotatable together with rotary member 9. The bottom surface of polyhedron 12A is in contact with switch 7A. Operating member 12 further has cylindrical operating lever 12B extending upward in such a manner as to penetrate through circular hole 13A formed in the center of driver 13 and then to protrude from circular hole 1A formed on the top surface of the case.
Driver 13 is an approximately polygonal plate and has spherical protrusion 13B in the center of its top surface. Spherical protrusion 13B is rotatably and tiltably in contact with the bottom surface of the periphery of circular hole 1A formed on the top surface of the case. Circular hole 13A is engaged with operating lever 12B so that operating lever 12B can be movable vertically and rotatable. Driver 13 is further provided on its bottom surface with protrusions 14A, 14B and the like which are in contact with switches 7B, 7C and the like, respectively.
The operation of the multi operating electronic component thus structured will be described as follows. First, suppose that the user presses operating lever 12B laterally to tilt it in the right direction shown with the arrow X in FIGS. 11 and 12. This pressing makes operating member 12 rotate in the right direction about polyhedron 12A at the bottom end as shown in FIG. 14. This rotation causes driver 13, which is engaged with operating lever 12B at its middle height, to be rotated and tilted in the direction X1. As a result, protrusion 14A at the bottom end of driver 13 that corresponds to the direction in which operating lever 12B has been tilted presses switch 7B downward. When the user releases the lateral pressure applied to operating lever 12B, the elastic restoring force of switch 7B pushes protrusion 14A and thus driver 13 back so as to restore operating member 12 to the original neutral position shown in FIG. 12.
Suppose that the user turns operating lever 12B to rotate operating member 12 horizontally within the neutral position. This rotates rotary member 9, which is engaged with polyhedron 12A formed at the bottom end of operating member 12 so as to be rotatable together, without moving driver 13. As a result, fixed elastic contacts 8 elastically slide along contact plate 10 formed on the bottom surface of rotary member 9, thereby providing a predetermined electric signal.
Suppose the user presses operating lever 12B downward by applying pressure in the direction shown with the arrow V in FIGS. 11 and 12. This pressing causes the bottom surface of polyhedron 12A at the bottom end of operating member 12 to press switch 7A in the center downward without moving driver 13 or rotary member 9.
The multi operating electronic component is mounted on a device in such a manner that the operating knob of the device is mounted on the top end of operating lever 12B. Multi operating electronic components of this type are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. H10-241501 and 2003-263940.
The aforementioned conventional multi operating electronic component is mounted on a device in such a manner that operating member 12 protrudes upward and that the operating knob of the device is mounted on the top end of operating member 12. This structure undesirably increases the height of the multi operating electronic component including the thickness of the operating knob.